Tuesday, August 11, 2009

Olympic and Youth Softball: Thursday's the Day

Coincidence or fate?

On Thursday, the 2009 Little League Softball World Series will begin in Portland, Oregon.

Also on Thursday, the fate of softball for the 2016 Olympic Games will likely be decided in Berlin at a meeting of the Executive Board of the International Olympic Committee.

From the USA Softball website:

The list of seven sports up for consideration to be included in the 2016 Games will be narrowed down to two. Competing with softball for inclusion in the Games are baseball, golf, karate, roller sports, rugby and squash. The IOC's rule-making body will shortlist two finalists during the 9 a.m. to 1 p.m. executive board session at the Intercontinental Hotel in Berlin on Thursday. Those sports will then be put forward by the 15-member Executive Board to a vote by members of the IOC on October 9.

Before the opening pitch is thrown in East (West Point LL, Greensburg, Pennsylvania) vs. Latin America (Soraida Juliana LL Willemstad, Curacao), and friendly competition has begun in their beloved sport, a group will decide if there will be Olympic Softball when they are at their prime playing age seven years from now.

You can help support this vibrant and vital sport:

**go to Back Softball and read about the efforts to bring Olympic Softball back for the 2016 Summer Games; join their Facebook group and check out the USA Softball website, also.

**visit and support the Little League Softball World Series -- show the world your love of softball and send a message of its importance in your life and your daughter's life

**email your support to ESPN and media outlets that cover softball

And finally, we are so lucky to have Michele Smith, the Chair of the BackSoftball Athlete Ambassadors lobbying campaign, at Alpenrose to provide commentary for the three ESPN2 broadcasts. Enjoy those games live, the atmosphere, and maybe tell Michele in person THANKS for her actions and efforts for the future of the sport and the future of our girls.

Getting Situated

Today is a travel, arrival, limo, check-up, photos, "meet your new parents," and uniforms kinda day...

In other words, the girls got situated today :)

The teams fly in from all over the world and are brought to Alpenrose via limo, with vans following carrying all their luggage. They are photographed when they arrive and then they complete their bios, get their uniforms, meet their host families, get checked for swine flu, and gaze upon the playing field and stadium where the Opening Ceremonies will take place (tomorrow) and the games begin (Thursday).

Each team goes from their league name to their Region name, and receive their uniforms and the official photo is taken (you can see the transformation of the Georgia team, for example, here and all of the teams here).

The players will meet their host families and spend their first night in Portland. The managers and coaches will go to the hotel and everyone will head back up to Alpenrose for tomorrow's festivities:

3pm: Opening Ceremony/Main Field

4pm: Baskin-Robbins Ice Cream Social/Dairyville (Teams)

4:30pm: DeMarini Skills Challenge/Main Field

See you there :)

Monday, August 10, 2009

Brackets Are Complete -- Welcome, Ontario

The final ticket has been punched!

Team Canada for the 2009 Little League Softball World Series is Windsor South Canadians LL, Windsor, Ontario.

Congrats, and safe travels to Portland!

Sunday, August 09, 2009

Alaska, Welcome to the Tourney!

With today's 8-1 win over perennial powerhouse Gilroy, California, team Alaska (Nunaka Valley LL, Anchorage) becomes the West representative in the 2009 Little League Softball World Series in Portland, Oregon!

A representative from Canada is also being determined today: British Columbia vs. Ontario.

And then the brackets will be complete. For a complete schedule, visit the official website.

Saturday, August 08, 2009

Welcome Greensburg, PA and Crawford, TX !

Two more teams have been crowned champion of their region and will make their way to Portland, Oregon, for the 2009 Little League Softball World Series!

East Region Winner, representing Pennsylvania:

West Point LL, Greensburg, Pennsylvania

West Point defeated Milford International LL, Milford, Connecticut, 6-3 in Albany, New York.

Southwest Region Winner, representing Texas West:

Crawford LL, Crawford, Texas

Crawford defeated Edna LL, of Edna, Texas today 9-4 in Waco.

Congrats and we will see you in a couple of days!

Friday, August 07, 2009

Michigan is in!

The Central region will be represented by Croswell Lexington LL, Croswell, Michigan, in the 2009 Little League Softball World Series!

Michigan defeated Ohio (Wheelersburg LL, Wheelersburg) 3-2 to advance.

The Central region has been represented well by Michigan in recent years: Mattawan in 2006 and Gladstone in 2007.

Welcome, Croswell-Lexington Little League!

Tuesday, August 04, 2009

Welcome, Georgia!

The 2009 Little League Softball World Series has its first U.S. region winner: Warner Robins American Little League of Warner Robins, Georgia! They will represent the Southeast Region in the LLSBWS, which begins August 13 in Portland, Oregon.

Georgia beat Florida (Windermere LL, Windermere) 9-8 last night in West Virginia.

Warner Robins begins play Thursday, August 18, versus West at 5pm PDT.

Here are some great shots from their local paper.

Congrats to the players and coaches from Warner Robins, Georgia!

Friday, July 31, 2009

Lots of LLSB Regional Action

Press coverage of Little League Softball U.S. Regional tournaments taking place:

And the Central Region teams are now set:

Michigan
Croswell Lexington LL, Croswell

Illinois
Antioch LL, Antioch

Nebraska
Keystone LL, Omaha

Iowa
Boone National LL, Boone

Host
Seneca LLSeneca, Missouri

N/S Dakota
Canyon Lake LL, Rapid City, South Dakota

Kansas
Girard LL, Girard

Missouri
Perryville LL, Perryville

Wisconsin
Appleton LL, Appleton

Indiana
Riverfield LL, Anderson

Minnesota
Itasca LL, Grand Rapids

Ohio
Wheelersburg LL, Wheelersburg

Kentucky

South London LL London

Thursday, July 30, 2009

A Post for the Umpires :)

The unsung heroes of the Little League volunteer corps necessary to run a first-class tournament most certainly are the umpires. Did you know that the umpires for the various Little League World Series pay their own way?

Here is a great article about umps really earning some mileage miles this summer:

Umps Go Out of Their Way to Make the Call

RAMSTEIN AIR BASE, Germany — You can’t take a step at any Little League game without running into legions of volunteers — coaches, officials, scorekeepers, groundskeepers, etc.
But umpires Jack Ruscoe of Salem, Ore., and Joey Broxmeyer of Rialto, Calif., are giving much more than their time to Little League Softball’s European Regionals.


(click on link to keep reading)

Parades + SW and West Regionals

As Regional tournaments kick off around the country, Little League Softball is celebrated and the girls have fun AND play softball:

Southeast Regional Opening Ceremonies

"South Portland (Maine) Softball Team off to N.Y."



The Southwest Regional line-up is set; the tournament begins this weekend in Waco, Texas:

Texas East
Edna LL, Edna

Colorado
Grand Mesa LL, Grand Junction

Texas West
Crawford LL, Crawford

Louisiana
Jackson Parish LL, Jackson Parish

New Mexico
Silver City LL, Silver City

Arkansas
Bearden LL, Bearden

The West Regional begins Saturday in Vancouver, Washington:

Alaska
Nunaka Valley LL, Anchorage

Arizona
San Tan Softball LL, Mesa

Utah
Enterprise LL, Enterprise

Washington
Bellevue Thunderbird LL, Bellevue

Northern California
Gilroy LL, Gilroy

Idaho
Lewiston LL, Lewiston

Oregon
Klamath Falls LL, Klamath Falls

Montana
Boulder Arrowhead/Big Sky LL, Billings

Southern California
Burbank LL, Burbank

Host
Columbia LL, Vancouver, Washington

Safe travels and good luck!

Wednesday, July 29, 2009

LLSB Southeast Regional Kicks Off

Each week, Little League Softball teams are winning their state tournaments and advancing to their Regional -- this is an exciting time!

The Southeast Regional tournament, in Ceredo-Kenova, West Virginia, begins tomorrow with South Carolina vs. Tennessee. Formerly known as the South representative, this tournament has produced three of the last four Softball World Series champions!

The following state champions will compete to represent the Southeast in the 2009 Little League Softball World Series in Portland, Oregon:

Alabama
Phenix City Fastpitch LL, Phenix City

Florida
Windermere LL, Windermere

Georgia
Warner Robins American LL, Warner Robins

North Carolina
Canton LL, Canton

South Carolina
Blue Ridge/Northwest/Wade Hampton LL, Greer

Tennessee
Clarksville Northwest LL, Clarksville

Virginia
McLean LL, McLean
(2005 World Champs)

West Virginia
Wayne LL, Wayne

The Southeast Regional is in the news!

Congrats and good luck!

Saturday, July 25, 2009

2009 LLSBWS Host Team: Beaverton Area LL!

The Oregon District 4 LL Softball champion was crowned last night and receives an automatic berth to the 2009 Little League Softball World Series as the host team. Beaverton Area LL, with local players from BALL, Murrayhill LL, and Tualatin City LL, beat Tigard LL last evening 5-3 at Alpenrose main.

Oregon D4 will begin World Series action on Thursday, August 13 versus Southwest at Alpenrose!

Friday, July 24, 2009

Here They Come!

All around the world, Little League Softball tournaments are being played and teams are hitting and pitching and fielding their way to Portland, Oregon, for the LLSB World Series!

Several teams have already won their regional tournaments and ready to fly here next month:

Representing Latin America:
Soraida Juliana LL, Willemstad, Curacao NA

Representing Asia Pacific:
Guam LL, Guam

Representing EMEA (Europe, Middle East, Africa):
Lombardia LL, Milano, Italy

And away we go! The heat of the summer brings out the best in our softball players -- good luck and enjoy the ride. Hope to see you in Portland and we'll be following all of the news starting NOW! :)

Thursday, February 12, 2009

National Pro Fastpitch + Little League Softball

A new partnership was announced yesterday on the women's pro softball website:

WILLIAMSPORT, Pa. (Feb. 11, 2009) – The National Pro Fastpitch (NPF) Softball League and Little League International have established a partnership that will provide the Little League Softball program with additional training and education resources, and expand awareness and opportunities for the NPF and the nearly 400,000 girls who play in the various divisions of Little League Softball.

As teams and leagues around the country gear up for the 2009 season, this great news should provide a boost for coaches and players as they build skills and form teams.

Tuesday, October 14, 2008

2008 LLSBWS Champs Meet the President

The summer stars of Simpsonville, South Carolina, got a chance to think about their victorious August as the 2008 Little League Softball World Series champs were invited to meet President and Mrs. Bush during a stopover in South Carolina:

"Softball Champs say meeting President not Bush League"

Monday, August 18, 2008

2008 LLSWS: Final Links

The teams from the 2008 Little League Softball World Series have all gone home...the tournament website has been updated and Alpenrose Stadium/Dairy has been cleaned up and is a little quieter these days...

Here are some final links as local papers/websites follow the girls in their hometowns:

"Simpsonville Holds Parade for Little League Softball Champions"

"It Was A Dream Come True"

"Sterling Celebrates Third Place Finish"

"Robbinsville Softball to be Feted with Parade"


Thanks!

Thank you to the volunteers who make the Little League Softball World Series happen. Just like millions of dedicated youth sport volunteers around the world, they do it for the kids. From hosting players in their homes, to concessions, to scorekeeping, to groundskeeping, to painting, to websiting (?), to picture-taking, to video-ing, to coordinating of Opening/Closing ceremonies, to announcing, to umpiring, to running around setting up tents and lights and getting ice and giving directions to the local grocery store...I could go on and on. Great job!

See you in August 2009!

Thursday, August 14, 2008

"The Happiest Girl(s) In The Whole USA"



THANK YOU to the girls who play softball...safe trip home and keep those memories close. Work hard in school and sports...the world is yours!

P.S. This is why so many volunteers spend almost two weeks of their lives in tents, scooping ice cream, selling 50/50 tickets, announcing games, taking photos, getting ice, painting bleachers, dragging fields, holding flags, videoing, and organizing it all... :

(from this morning's Daily Gazette, Sterling, Illinois, and writer Paul Skrbina)

Sterling (Little League) spent Wednesday night at a hotel pool, swimming with their third-place game opponents from Puerto Rico. "That's extremely awesome," McKenna Pearson said. I never imagined hanging out with a team from Puerto Rico in Portland, Oregon."

The experience even inspired Jennifer Rahn to dream bigger.

"I'll look back on it as the experience of a lifetime," she said. "I'm going to love telling all the stories I can.

I might even try to coach a team and get them here."

Jennifer, we can't wait.

2008 LLSWS Wrap-Up

The 2008 Little League Softball World Series is in the books, and we have a new champion: Simpsonville Little League, Simpsonville, South Carolina, representing the South region.

I think the competition at this year's tournament was the best ever. It's a credit to the teams, coaches and fans that keep Little League Softball chugging along, and to the many volunteers who make the LLSWS happen.

Links

"Little League Softball World Series: Final Day" (Oregonian newspaper + slideshow)

"Daniel's Hoover Leads South to World Series Title"

"Simpsonville Girls Win Little League Softball World Series"

"Rooting For Robbinsville"

"A Week of Alpenrose Magic Will Last A Lifetime"

"Sterling Takes Third in the World"

"Third Is The Word"

"Two's Company for Portland Family Hosting Girls"

"DeMotte Native to Work Softball Title Game"

Link to my photos from last night

Wednesday, August 13, 2008

South Wins Again!

Congratulations to Team South: Simpsonville Little League, Simpsonville, South Carolina, your 2008 Little League Softball World Series champs!

They broke open a close ball game with five runs in the top of the sixth inning to defeat Team East from Robbinsville, New Jersey, 9-5, in tonight's championship game, which aired live on ESPN2. A team from the South has won the last three of four final games.

2008 LLSWS Championship Day

What an amazing night of softball yesterday! And what a treat for viewers -- two, one-run ball games. Unfortunately, I couldn't stay for Semifinal II: I missed the three-hour game while I was running a three-hour Little League meeting :) Here is a fast recap:

Semifinal I: East 1, Central 0

Semifinal II: South 7, Latin America 6

Championship: East (Robbinsville, NJ) vs. South (Simpsonville, SC)
4pmPDT, broadcast live on ESPN2. Both teams are undefeated in the tournament -- it wil be a good one!

Today's Schedule
All of the 2008 LLSWS teams are in action today, finishing out their tournament experience with a game and one last opportunity to play together.

If you are local, join us at Alpenrose. The barbeque is not your run-of-the-mill stuff: great burgers and chicken salads and polish dogs from the Traeger. You can get a huge cup of Baskin-Robbins/Alpenrose ice cream for $2. There are mascots, music, and yesterday, an ESPY winner! Has your son or daughter seen an ESPN production up close? Admission and parking are free -- while a 4pm start is a challenge for working folks in the Portland area, the time was set by ESPN to put the game in primetime on the east coast. Join us as soon as you can :)

Links

I took photos from the first game last night (East vs. Central) and uploaded them here.

"East, South Win, Advance to Finals"

"Simpsonville Stars Reach Final..."

"Robbinsville One Win Away From World Title"

"Sterling Drops Heartbreaker"

"Driving Them Batty" (Sterling, Illinois)

"Series Offers Father-Daughter Therapy" (Sterling LL team)

Tuesday, August 12, 2008

Semi-Final Game I: Sights

I'm blogging live from Alpenrose right after the first semifinal game of the 2008 Little League Softball World Series. In a battle of two tough teams, great pitching, and amazing defense, East (Robbinsville, New Jersey) defeated Central (Sterling, Illinois), 1-0. Team East advances to the Championship Game tomorrow at 4pmPDT live on ESPN2.

Here are some quick photos of the site today:






ESPN Day I + Links

This day is always my favorite day of the Little League Softball World Series.

At this point, all of the teams have played their hearts out and four are very happy. The remaining six teams are relaxed, having fun, acting like girls... Tonight there will be more laughter and silliness and excitement in the stands, as they will be filled with fans and lots of PLAYERS who have the night off and can watch and enjoy the games, and ice cream, and snow cones, and texting :)

ESPN's Holly Rowe and other staff were roaming around last night, talking to folks and getting the tower ready for tonight's broadcasts.

Here is today's schedule:

10amPDT: All-Star Game
The six teams not plaing in tonight's semifinal games will each send players to this morning's All-Star Game to join forces and to play a fun game with new friends and new coaches.

The game is followed by a wonderful barbeque hosted by the Cadonau Family, owners and operators of Alpenrose Dairy.

4pmPDT: Semifinal I/Game 21 (broadcast live on ESPN2)
East (Robbinsville, New Jersey) vs. Central (Sterling, Illinois)

6:30pmPDT: Semifinal II/Game 22 (broadcast live on ESPN2)
South (Simpsonville, South Carolina) vs. Latin America (Paunabo, Puerto Rico)

**Please note: there will be no internet video or audio coverage of the semifinal and championship games due to agreement with ESPN. You can follow the live boxscores for Game I, Game II , and the Championship/Game 27 from the main website.**


Tuesday Morning Links

"Sterling tops California; Advances to Semifinals"

"Sterling Advances to Final Four With Shutout"

"Family Makes Room For Six" (story about hosting Sterling players)

"Robbinsville's Battery Recharged"

"Simpsonville Stars Go National"

Monday, August 11, 2008

Final Pool Play Game

There was a buzz in the Alpenrose stadium bleachers this evening as Pool Play of the 2008 Little League Softball World Series wrapped up with Game 20, Central vs. West. The winner of the game would take second place in Pool B, and thus move on to Tuesday's semifinal match-up with Pool A winner (East/Robbinsville, New Jersey) broadcast live on ESPN2.

Team Central (Sterling, Illinois) and Team West (Grand Terrace, California) played an outstanding ballgame with great pitching, timely hitting and agressive baserunning. Through five innings, there was only one run (Central) and the cheering sections were getting louder and the line for ice cream nonexistent. Who wanted to leave even for a few minutes during this game?

Central defeated West, 5-0. Here are some photos of Alpenrose tonight, readying for ESPN games tomorrow:

Semifinal I, 4pmPDT: East versus Central and

Semifinal II, 6:30PDT: South versus Latin America






Pix from Game 19: Southwest vs. Latin America

2008 Little League Softball World Series: #19, What a game!

Latin America (Maunabo, Puerto Rico) and Southwest (Waco, Texas) battled for the second place spot in Pool A and the chance to play on ESPN2 in Tuesday's 6:30PDT semifinal. The girls from Puerto Rico outlasted the ones from Texas, 5-4 in a game that saw Team Southwest score all their runs in the second inning, including a homerun over the fence by Sarah Beth Tobin that made the score 4-1. But Team Latin America scored a run in each the remaining innings for the win.






Setting The Table for ESPN + Links!

Today is a big day for the Little League Softball World Series in Portland, Oregon. Several teams are still in contention for playing on ESPN2 in tomorrow's semifinal games:

Pool A: The East team (Robbinsville, New Jersey) has gone undefeated and finally gets their bye day to rest for the first (4pm local) semifinal game vs. Pool B #2.

The Pool A #2 spot is still open with two teams tied at 2-1 records, Southwest (Waco, Texas) and Latin America (Maunabo, Puerto Rico) -- and those two play each other tonight at 5:30pm on the East field.

Pool B: The South team (Simpsonville, South Carolina) has also gone undefeated in pool play. They play in the first game of the day versus Asia-Pacific. If they win, they will be Pool B #1 and play at 6:30pm on ESPN2 in the second semi-final. If they lose, we must look at the Pool Play Tiebreaker rules.

Two teams are tied with 2-1 records in Pool B: West (Grand Terrace, California) and Central (Sterling, Illinois). And, you guessed it, they will play each other in the final game of Pool Play this evening at 8pm on the main field.

Monday Morning Links

Bacolod Little League (Philippines)

Midway All Stars (Southwest team)

"Robbinsville's Speed is Decisive"

"Girls At Home In Oregon" (Sterling, Illinois)

Friday, August 08, 2008

Alpenrose Sights


The motto of the West Team!



Teams are issued courtesy cars for use during the week. It's great to spot one on the freeway or around town.



You've heard of the Olympic Village...this is the Umpire Village at the Softball World Series!



Oh Canada!

Pix from Game 6: Asia Pacific vs. West






LLSBWS 2008: Day 2 Pix






Pix from Day 1

Click here for a photo album from Day 1 of the 2008 Little League Softball World Series.

Friday Morning Links

"Italian Team's Expedition for Competition Makes a Portland Stop" Oregonian (Portland's main daily paper)

NJ.com ("everything New Jersey")

"Midway Wins Opener"

Grand Terrace Opener

"Sterling All-Stars Take a Break Before First World Series Game"

More Pix from Day 1




Softball World Series Day 1: Three Great Games

Wow, some great softball was played last night! Here is a summary of the scores:

Game 1: East (Robbinsville, NJ) 4, Latin America (Maunabo, Puerto Rico) 2

Game 2: South (Simpsonville, SC) 1, West (Grand Terrace, CA) 0

Game 3: RESCHEDULED EMEA will take on Asia Pacific on Monday at 10am

Game 4: Southwest (Waco, TX) 2, Host/Oregon D4 (Beaverton, OR) 1

The competition is the best I've seen in the Little League Softball World Series. I can't wait for tonight!

Thursday, August 07, 2008

Five Quick Pix from Day 1






It is 11pm and I am just getting home from a long day at Alpenrose...here are some photos from today. I will post some more tomorrow.

LIVE from Alpenrose: Day 1

I'm coming to you live...well as live as I can get. I have the laptop up here at Pin Trading Central while the East vs. Latin America game continues right below me. There are some familiar traders here on the picnic benches, from years past and tournaments all around.

I visited the Admin/Media trailer and am very aware of the problems with the live video feed. This was the first attempt at providing video for viewers over the internet, and there are some glitches here at the first game. However, they are all working diligently to get it up and going...the vendor is onsite and they are well aware that it is down. THANK YOU for your patience... Please remember that the Softball World Series is managed and run by volunteers.

Now, if you are local, please join us here in Southwest Portland. The Traeger barbeque is putting out some great food, the Alpenrose/Baskin Robbins ice cream is flavorful and plenty... Admission is free, and so is parking. The competition is very good, and it is a great family atmosphere!

Thursday Morning Links

Lots of folks talking about the 2008 Little League Softball World Series:

"For Robbinsville, A Time to Adjust" (East team)

"Once in a Lifetime Experience, Priceless" (today's Oregonian)

"Simpsonville Girls Playing for Softball Series Title" (South team)

"Little League Softball World Series Kicks Off at Alpenrose (Portland Tribune)

"Midway Reaches First Little League Softball World Series Since 2004" (Southwest team)

"Sterling on the Sidelines as Series Start" (Central team)

"Beaverton Majors Stars Gear Up For the World Series" (host/Oregon District 4 team)

Wednesday, August 06, 2008

Skills Challenge Photos

After the girls' enjoyed ice cream, it was time for the DeMarini Skills Challenge on the stadium field:







Late Wednesday Updates

I spent the afternoon at the LLSBWS and have lots of photos to share... But what I may need to publish is an x-ray, for perhaps my heart was swelling during today's Opening Ceremony.

At three o'clock in the afternoon, most of the crowd was probably on vacation, and while the event may not compare to the Olympics, it is nonetheless a wonderful affair, with teams of girls singing their national anthems, dignitaries saying a few words, and heroes from ESPN throwing out the first pitch. The owners/founders of Alpenrose were honored, and Lexi Cadonau herself sang the United States' National Anthem.

Asia Pacific Update
Well, I had assumed that all ten teams had made it to Portland yesterday (and today, in the case of Team Canada), we found out today that the team from the Phillippines has been delayed. They are expected to be in town by tomorrow's Game 3 versus EMEA.

Lots of Accents
One reason I love the Opening Ceremony is that it is one of the few times during the week that all the teams are on site. As the tournament progresses, teams and host families use their bye day for a trip to the beach or to Mt. Hood. So, hanging out in the crowd reveals all that is special about bringing together girls from all over the world: accents and other languages. What a treat for a suburban mom to hang out with world travelers!

Sara & Mallory: ESPY Winners
What an honor for the teams and fans to have the 2008 ESPY Winners for "Best Sports Moment of the Year" Sara Tucholsky and Mallory Holtman onsite, participating in the Opening Ceremony and signing autographs today.

Text Message Updates
Text messages will start tomorrow. You can sign up at any time during the tournament -- it's free and I won't bombard you with spam.

Online Scoring
Follow each game's scorebook on the SoftballWorldSeries.com website by going to the "Bracket/Results" page, then clicking on the game you are following. Thanks to many volunteer hours and hi-tech equipment, the ballfields are equipped with wireless connectivity, thus each game features LIVE BOX SCORES. Not even the boys have that :)

Photos
Click here.

"A Beautiful Sight" and "A Beautiful Site"

Within two minutes of stepping out of the car at Alpenrose today, I got my first taste of the delight that is the Little League Softball World Series. I had stopped to take this photo:


Just then, a gentleman in a "Latin America" t-shirt says, "Beautiful sight, isn't it?" Yes, it is.

Wednesday: Fun Day Set For The Girls

Is this Day 1 or Day 0? :)

With the Canadian team arriving late last night after a long trip, all the 2008 Little League Softball World Series participants are in Portland and today brings the Opening Ceremonies, Ice Cream Social, and DeMarini Skills Challenge. The girls get a chance to hang out at Alpenrose, meet the other teams and soak up some of the World Series atmosphere before the actual games start tomorrow.

Opening Ceremonies
At 3pm today (local time), the newly uniformed teams will take the field and the anthems will be sung. Look for photos here.

Ice Cream Social
The girls will be invited to the onsite ice cream parlor to enjoy ice cream as the field is set up for the Skills Challenge. The official ice cream of Alpenrose is Baskin Robbins, which is made by the dairy. Yep, Alpenrose is a working dairy as well as ball fields, a midget car race track, and cycling velodrome.

DeMarini Skills Challenge
In the final event of the day for the girls, the main field will be home to tires and buckets and even a cow :) as a fun competition unfolds including pitching, hitting and running, with t-shirts and prizes for the participants. Look for photos here.

General Info
Feel free to sign up for free text message updates on this blog.

The games begin tomorrow. Admission and parking are (always) free. Full concessions and souvenirs are onsite. If you are local, join us for a low-cost evening with the family watching girls from all over the world play softball in a beautiful park.

Links

"Welcome to Portland" (central: Sterling LL)

"Spotlight on the Tantum Park Gang" (east: Robbinsville LL)

"BeavertonAllStars" (host: Beaverton Area LL)

Tuesday, August 05, 2008

Travel Day Pictures

Check out this page from the SoftballWorldSeries.com website for photos of the teams arriving at Alpenrose for the 2008 Little League Softball World Series!

Turtle Club LL Joins the Party + The Latest Links

Canadian Team Emerges
Turtle Club Little League of Windsor, Ontario, will represent Canada in the 2008 Little League Softball World Series. Turtle Club, the Canadian Regional host team, outlasted Windsor South Canadian Little League, 10-8 yesterday in the championship. The teams are all now set and on their way to Portland! Keep an eye out on the SoftballWorldSeries.com website for pictures as they teams arrive in their limos.

Today's Schedule
Today is travel day! By plane, bus and/or car, the players and coaches will make their way to Alpenrose Stadium in southwest Portland, Oregon.

Text Message Scoring
I am happy to continue a very popular blog feature of last year: scores sent via text message. If you sign up on this blog (to the right), you will be sent text messages of game scores from Game 1 through the Championship game. This is a free service.

Game Video Available
In 2008, LLSBWS staff has worked diligently to provide free video of games not covered by ESPN. You can check the SoftballWorldSeries.com website and watch via computer.

Stats and Stories
Worldwide media resources are talking about the 2008 Little League Softball World Series:

"Flying to the World Series" (Grand Terrace LL)

"Southern California Squad Takes Regional Title" (Grand Terrace LL)

"Oregon, Here They Come" (Robbinsville LL)

"Sterling Ready to Take On the World" (Sterling LL)

"Send-Off for Midway" (Midway LL)

Lombardia Little League (Italy)

"Alpenrose to Host Girls LL Softball World Series" (KGW TV, Portland)

Monday, August 04, 2008

The 2008 LLSBWS Teams

The teams are (almost) set for the 2008 Little League Softball World Series.

Today, Turtle Club LL, Windsor, Ontario, will face Windsor South Canadian LL, for the right to represent Canada in this year's tournament. We should know the outcome by this evening. In the meantime, here are the teams traveling to Portland for arrival at Alpenrose tomorrow:

West: Grand Terrace Little League, California

South: Simpsonville Little League, South Carolina

Southwest: Midway Little League, Waco, Texas

East: Robbinsville Little League, New Jersey

Central: Sterling Little League, Illinois

EMEA: Lombardia Little League, Milano, Italy

Latin America: ASOFEM Little League, Maunabo, Puerto Rico

Asia Pacific: Bacolod West Little League, Philippines

Host: Beaverton Area Little League, Oregon


Here is Google Map representing "where in the world" the teams are located.

Sunday, August 03, 2008

SoCal is in the house!

With an 11-0 win over Red Bluff Little League, Grand Terrace Little League won the "Battle of California" in the West Regional today to become the final American team to advance to the 2008 Little League Softball World Series. Red Bluff represented Northern California and GTLL represented Southern California.

Congrats to Sterling Little League!

Sterling Little League of Sterling, Illinois, defeated Girard, Kansas, yesterday in the Central Regional to advance to the 2008 Little League Softball World Series.

Sterling LL emerged the winner of the 13-team tournament in Joplin, Missouri.

Two regions are left to complete their tournaments and round out the ten teams playing in Portland, Oregon, for the World Series title: West and Canada.

Saturday, August 02, 2008

"R-Ville" is heading to Portland!

Robbinsville Little League of New Jersey will fly west to represent the Eastern Region in the 2008 Little League Softball World Series. They advanced with a 7-0 win today over Maine and were undefeated in the tournament!

Friday, August 01, 2008

Southwest Regional: Welcome Back Waco!

Midway Little League of Waco, Texas, is returning to the Little League Softball World Series after coming back to defeat San Antonio Northwest/Northside Suburban twice in the last two days in the Southwestern Regional tournament.

Midway earned the LLSBWS berth tonight with an 8-1 win over the Host team from San Antonio. They begin World Series play on Thursday, August 7th, versus the host team, Beaverton Area Little League.